Nonmetallic spring



L. WL DETERCH NONMETALMC SPRING Original Filed Oct. 25, 1918 etlicient action. Another object llll ' curve ot resistance to distortion.

Fl'tlllllllFTllLLll tillPlitlllll'Gu application tiled dcteberlltll, little, serial lite. Hallett. 4

To all wl'zbm tf1/may 'concern-f Be it lnoWn that ll, LUDWIG M. Dm'r'nnion,

a citizen ot the United States, anda resident et' New Brunswick, in the county of Middle Vses and @tate ot'liletv Jersey, have invented an improvement in Flonmetallic Springs, 'ot' which the following isa specitication.

'Fhis inventlon relatesl to non-metallic springs. @ne ot the objects thereof is to provide a spring ot the above type et simple and inexpensive construction and highly is to provide shall be light the desired Another object is to provide a simple and practical art tor forming a s'prinp,r ot the above type. @ther objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter..l

The invention accordingly consists inthe a non-metallic spring which and adapted readily to give features ot` construction, combinations oitV elements, arrangement of parts, and in the several steps, all illustratively described in this application and delined in the following claims.

ltet'errinp; novv to thejdrawing, in which is shown `one ot various possible embodiments et the mechanical :teaturesot this invention,

Figure l is a vertical sectional vievv ot" 'a compound spring;

Figure 2 is a similar view in diagrammatic torm showin@1 the action ot asp-ring element; and v F igure 3 is a diagrammatic representation ot one of the steps ot'my process.

Similar reference characters relier to simb lar parts throughout the several vievvs ot the drawing.

Referring novv to ltligure 3 of the dravv-` ing, there is sho-wn diagrammatically a cy lindrical container l having mounted tor re-` ciprocation therein a piston 2 actuated by a .rod 3. Contined Within this casing is a body ot cork 4l. which vmay be assumed in this case normally Ito have the shape indicated by the dotted line 5. .'llhe corlrv is preferably ar ranged vvith its grain substantially parallel to the airis olf the cylinder, althoiugglil many ot the advantages oft this invention may be attained with the die osed.

ssuminp; the natural cork to occupy the position and shape indicated by the dotted line doivn to the bottom ot the cylinder, l

sure preferably amounts .more excellent Athe results in resilient spring,

grain of the cork othervviset endoot the member ll the piston 8 rests.

ltcnevved lllecember tl, wat.

subject it by downward movement of the piston 2 to aner'treme pressure. Such presto many tons .to the. n' tact, it has been my expegreater the pressure exerted carryingF on'this' process, the the product. llt to he understood that by the expression high pressure as used herein and in the lolloivinp1 claims, is meant a. pressure ot not less than tive 'hundred pounds to the square inch. `IWhen this pressure is relieved, the. cork partially recovers its original size and shape but not fully. lits characteristics and presumably its internal structure are markedly changed bythis extreme pressure. llt now possesses the properties olr a highly particularly in meeting stresses imposed in the direction of its original high compression.

lt is to be understood that by the expre-ssion permanently as used herein to deline a reduction ot volume due to Ithe above com pression is meanta reduction of volume of square inch. rience that the on the cork in 6oV -such substantial degree that the member mpF a suitable base l with the reciprocating plstpn 8. 'lhe rod 9 ot' this piston is-connected Vby any suitable mean-s through which the shock or stress which it is desired to cushion may be transmitted toI the parts shown. llt may be assumed, tor example, that this Shoclr is applied directly to the piston l/Fithin the cylinder o-r container ti are a pair ot cork springs l() and ll. These springs are assumed to have been. treated by the proc-ess above described and are assumed to have their grain preferably arranged parallel to the airis ol" the cylinder. rlhe member l() is preferably ot the semie-lliptical lorm shown, and supports a slidable cup 12.- Within the cup l@ is mounted the spring member 1l which is cylindrical lili etl

dit

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v 'for a portion otits length and terminates lower spring member `recess 13 in the sion may be attained. sistance to compression of the individual member may be changed with its shape, and by Compounding two 4or more as here shown, their joint action may be made such as to give substantially any desired curve or variation in resistance to compression.

As the piston S travels downwardly, the

is compressed. substantially as diagrammatiea-lly indicated in Figure 2 of the drawings. Its shape is such that friction between the cork and the walls of the cylinder is substantially avoided as the desired clearance is given to permit the cork to expand.' As the upper spring member 11 t avels downwardly. the cup 12 serving to'permit binding at its lower end, it will also tend to elvpand at its upper end. Furthermore the expansion ot its cylindrical portion is provided for by al suitably shaped 'alls ot the cylinder.

The action ot the above apparatus will. it

i is believed, be clear from the foregoing dcscription. Upon a relief in pressure on the piston .8, the spring moves it upwardly and the device is in condition for subsequent' downward impulses on the rod 9. The-cork, after being prepared by my process, exhibits many of the characteristics of an air spring. due perhaps to the coninement therein of a great number of extremely minute bodies of air. The pressure exerted is such that the cells or particles of the cork are permanently iattened to a substantial extent. spring of the foregoing type is especially adapted toreceivc shocks` and sudden stresses as distinguished from a long-continued pressure.

lt will thusl be seen that there is provided an art and apparatus in which the several objects of this invention are achieved.

As various )ossible embodiments mi ght be made of the Jfeatures of my invention. itA is to be understood that all matter herein set 'forth or shown in the accompanyiner drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. A non-metallic springr formed ot cork compressed in a single direction to a permanently reduced Volume.

The variation ot re- 2. A non-metallic spring formed of cork having its cells permanently tlattened by pressure.

8. spring device comprising a cork member pre-compresscd to a permanently reduced volume and a mounting adapted to subject said member to shocks substantially in the direction in which thc pressure. ot' its original compression was exercised.

4. A spring device comprising a plurality oi cork members superposed one upon another and pre-compressed to a permanently reduced volume`r a receptacle in which said cork members are mounted. and n ans adapted to exert pressure upon said members.

5. 'cork spring comprising a membcr formed ot cork. a member against which said lirst member rests provided with walls cmbracing said' tirst member. and a relatively movable membcr engaging the opposite end of said cork membcr and movable within sai-d walls tQ compress` said cork member against the member on which it rests. said cork member having been 1)rc-compressed to a permanently redriced volume.

ti. A\ cork spring comprising a membcr tormed. oiE cork. a member against which said tirst member rests provided with walls embracing. said lirst membcr. and a relatively movable membcr engaging the oppositc cnd Aof said cork membcr and movable within said walls to compress said cork member against the membcr on which it rests and said cork member having been pre-compressed to a permanently reduced volume. said walls and the adjacent surfaces ot said cork member being so disposed with relation one to the other as to permit lateral expansion of said cork member as it is compressed.

T. A spring device comprising a pair ot relatively movable members` a membcr formed of cork interposed between said movable members to be compressed thereby. a member fitted about said cork to prevent excessive distortion thereof during compression and means to prevent lateral displacement of said cork.

ln testimony whereot. l ha'vc signed mv name to this specification this teleth day it October`r 1918. i

LUDlVlG M'. Dl ll'1`lllltll. 

